“We now just have a new supply line meeting the demand.”. Phone: 573-468-6511 Fax: 573-468-4046. nuz4u@fidnet.com — Vernon County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a “substantial amount of meth” in a raid Saturday, Feb. 6. There’s 455 grams per pound and a dose of meth is just a quarter of gram. The transnational organized criminals trafficking drugs in Jackson County 90 years later are no less ruthless. On Nov. 6, 2017, McSparran pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The Jackson County Drug Task Force … The federal indictment charges the following 11 defendants, all Mexican nationals residing in Kansas City, Mo. Constantly updated. In addition to the conspiracy, Martinez, Almeida-Perez, Medina-Medina, Dangla-Sanchez, Almeida-Velazquez and Flores-Magallon are charged in various counts related to distributing methamphetamine. “After a buy, we’ll get follow-up calls from someone higher up in the organization,” says Cummings. These international cases have had the Task Force working with federal authorities on a regular basis, making the Task Force a logical fit for this initiative targeting “drug trafficking organizations that are making the streets of metro Kansas City less safe and more violent.”. We shouldn’t be because a lot of what we do is undercover. Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE to report suspicious activityReport Crime, Learn facts about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “They’ll want to know if we’re satisfied with how the deal went down. Federal prosecutors charged Saousoalii “Junior” Siavii, 40, of Independence with three counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms. Drug bust in Vernon County, Missouri recovers a “substantial amount of meth” VERNON COUNTY, Mo. The indictment also charges the following defendants: Jesus Monjardin-Araujo, aka "Beco," 38, a Mexican national residing in California; Jose Alan Castro-Rojo, 33, a Mexican national residing in Montclair, Calif.; Norberto Antonio Dangla-Sanchez, 36, of Modesto, Calif.; and Jose F. Almeida-Olivas, 32, aka "Jesus Almeida-Olivas," "Chaparro" and "Chuy," 32, a Mexican national residing in St. Paul, Minn. ICE identifies and apprehends removable aliens, detains these individuals and removes illegal aliens from the United States. Thirty-one defendants in Kansas City and Independence, Mo., and elsewhere, were charged in a 27-count indictment that was returned March 13 by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. “We’ve had years when we’ve confiscated 150 to 200 pounds of meth. In 1989 he joined the Independence PD’s first-ever Drug Unit, with various stints to follow on the Task Force in the 1990s and 2000s as a detective, then a sergeant. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. It really is like getting a call from customer service.” Nearly all 21st Century drug traffickers use cell phones, and some even arrange deals via Facebook. Rubi Espinoza, 26, of Mount Vernon, Mo… Investigators spent Thursday busting a suspected methamphetamine lab at a property on the 11500 block of East Lexington Street in Sugar Creek. They control the drug trafficking in this area.”. The Task Force has also earned accolades from its law enforcement peers. And they’re real sticklers about punctuality. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case. The criminals running these cartels think of themselves as being CEOs—entrepreneurs, captains of industry, innovators. Those rules include not using drugs, operating no “side businesses,” keeping customers satisfied, staying debt free and remaining silent if arrested. In 1989 he joined the Independence PD’s first-ever Drug Unit, with various stints to follow on the Task Force in the 1990s and 2000s as a detective, then a sergeant. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, stories and headlines in Independence, MO from Examiner. Sullivan Independent News 411 Scottsdale Sullivan, MO 63080. When Cummings says “doing business” that’s exactly what he means. Cummings and his detectives are constantly “vetting candidates” among these low-level dealers, seeking out those who don’t have the close family connections south of the border and, therefore, might be more cooperative. That starts with chasing the tail, luring smaller-time dealers into convert buys and working your way up. The site is secure. Zachary Scott Nutt, also known as “Tuna,” 35, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Sedalia, Mo., and Nicholas Anders Glaholt, 34, of Independence, Mo., were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. We overwhelmed the federal system here in Kansas City.”. With several of their cases having roots that trace back to Mexican cartels, the Task Force confiscated more than $16 million in illegal drugs last year. Several defendants have been arrested and remain in federal custody. The cartels are also concerned about quality control and customer service. Almeida-Perez, Ortiz-Iribe, Monjardin-Araujo, Martinez, Perez-Perez, Salcedo-Baez, Tavizon-Nunez, Ortiz-Miranda, Campos-Medina, Renteriaj, Angulo-Sandoval, Castro-Rojo, Sandoval, Marrufo-Rutiaga and Gonzalez-Mendoza are also charged with using a telephone to facilitate distributing methamphetamine. The COMBAT-Funded Jackson County Drug Task Force seized 144 pounds of methamphetamine during a recent search of a Kansas City property. The drug remains a stubborn scourge in southwest Missouri, according to Tim Garrison, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. One Task Force undercover detective recently was given a stern “time-is-money” lecture when he arrived at 3:02 for a 3 o’clock drug buy. That Independence’s reputation for meth abuse is based in part on the diligence of law enforcement annoys the city’s chief of police, for one. Dan Cummings is proud of the work the Jackson County Drug Task Force has done during his tenure as the Officer-In-Charge, but as a former undercover officer he prefers staying out of camera range. The emergence of the cartels has changed the way the Jackson County Drug Task Force goes about conducting its business. Those rules include not using drugs, operating no “side businesses,” keeping customers satisfied, staying debt free and remaining silent if arrested. INDEPENDENCE, MO (KCTV) -- A 17-year-old Oak Grove girl is dead and four others are injured after a crash near Little Blue Parkway in Independence. All these digital “conversations” save the Task Force’s undercover detectives time writing reports. Task Force Officer-In-Charge Dan Cummings believes the meth—the largest amount the Task Force has ever recovered at one time—was probably within a day of being distributed for sale throughout the metropolitan area. A cartel CEO enforces his personnel rules with violence—extreme violence. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Task Force Trying To Stay Ahead Of Drug Cartels Focused On Doing Business In Jackson County. They can use screen-captures. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government $1,070,000, which was allegedly received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine. “If we come into your neighborhood and you know we are there, doing our work, then we’ve failed. With the local supply all but eliminated, the cartels have stepped in to continue feeding Jackson County’s meth addiction. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The chiefs from these various police departments and the Jackson County Sheriff serve as the Task Force’s Executive Team. Before those deals are finalized, “buyers” will often text photos of their cash to confirm they have the necessary funds to purchase the methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine or marijuana. They manage their cash flow, supply lines, distribution centers and employees. — Eleven local residents were recently indicted in a $1.7 million drug conspiracy, along with possessing illegal firearms, federal officials say. The transnational organized criminals trafficking drugs in Jackson County 90 years later are no less ruthless. Largest Meth Bust in Missouri Bootheel By: CJ Cassidy . “The federal courthouse in Kansas City can really only handle about 25 indictments in a given day, and we tried to indict 25 in one shot. Mexican Authorities arrest 25 people following sweeps at Independence motels Police issued 52 warrants. The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) goal is to “get the head of the snake,” according to Cummings. Cummings, representing the Independence Police Department, was among the first detectives assigned to the Jackson County Drug Task Force in the mid-1980s. A Missouri woman is facing federal charges after she allegedly was caught with 11 pounds of methamphetamine at a Kansas City bus station. “Without the COMBAT funding there’d be no Task Force and each police department in Jackson County would be trying the best it can with the resources they’ve got,” Cummings says. What started off as a seemingly simple case, a Kansas City, Kan., undercover police officer asking the Jackson County Drug Task Force with assistance when a drug deal made in Kansas was to be completed in Missouri. INDEPENDENCE -- Officers with multiple police agencies arrested 11 people in Independence early this morning, shutting down a large drug distribution network. Now they’re wanting to see if the front-line dealer who sold us the stuff sold as much as he told them he did and for how much money. KANSAS CITY, Mo. ), “We had a situation when we wanted to indict 25 people all at once up at the federal courthouse,” Cumming says. Now they’re wanting to see if the front-line dealer who sold us the stuff sold as much as he told them he did and for how much money. ; Ramon Antonio Angulo-Sandoval, aka "Ramon Angulo-Rivera," "Tony" and "Carlos," age unknown, a Mexican national residing in Kansas City, Kan.; and Guillermo Ortiz-Iribe, aka "Memo," 38, a Mexican national residing in Excelsior Springs, Mo. An official website of the United States government. The Drug Enforcement Unit was formed to aggressively pursue drug disturbers and drug users. An indictment was unsealed today in Kansas City, Kansas, that named 20 people involved in a marijuana-distribution ring that has netted more than … “We now just have a new supply line meeting the demand.” So, we’re not well known in the community as a whole. Van Pelt was one of 29 people indicted as part of one of the biggest meth ring to ever plague the Ozarks, feds say. Let’s say in that 150 pounds of meth we got off the streets, there’s the quarter of a gram that might have been your daughter’s first taste of methamphetamine. “But they are genuinely concerned about us being happy with our purchase. The Unit initiates cases and conducts follow-up investigations on cases initiated by Patrol. 1 problem,” stresses Cummings. These charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Jackson County Drug Task Force; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Kansas State Highway Patrol; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. INDEPENDENCE, Mo. “Crime does not stop at the state line and neither does the Strike Force,” said Stephen McAllister, the U.S. Attorney for  Kansas. Ortiz-Iribe, Perez-Perez and Perez-Hernandez are also charged with being illegal aliens unlawfully possessing firearms. (Even the building is undercover. The Task Force is striving daily to stop these cartels from feeding Jackson County’s meth addiction—still the county’s No. The Southwest Independence 353 Board of Directors will meet at 5:00 p.m. virtually via GoToMeeting. What price do you put on that, when it is your daughter? The forfeiture allegation would also require Castro-Rojo to forfeit $32,490, Angul-Sandoval to forfeit $3,236 and Tavizon-Nunez to forfeit $28,140, all seized by law enforcement officers and allegedly proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. I don’t think so.”. — A human trafficking and prostitution sting in Independence has resulted in 21 arrests and multiple criminal charges, according to the Independence Police Department. Methamphetamine the Task Force confiscated in one search earlier this spring, He asks, “Should we just give up fighting and trying to make drugs as limited as possible? The ledger showed that during a four-month period of time this drug trafficking organization distributed more than 800 kilograms of cocaine and received $10 million in drug proceeds. That steady funding source keeps the Task Force fully equipped and provides the “buy money” necessary to lure dealers into the detectives’ undercover operations. (As an extra incentive, a cartel employee working in the United States realizes breaking the rules might cost the lives of any family members back in Mexico.). Crime Scene Unit. I am with the Jackson County Drug Task Force,’ I swear they sit there, lower their head and just go, ‘Oh, crap.’ They know who we are, and they know we’ve got them.”. Jefferson County Detective Jim Vargas unwraps a "foilie" containing suspected methamphetamine residue during a drug raid in Crystal City on Feb. 27, 2009. Dusty A. McSparran, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 19 years and six months in federal prison without parole. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Those detectives’ sole focus is on the Task Force’s cases, so they need not worry about being pulled off that duty to work on other cases. Most of the defendants are also charged with illegally possessing firearms. – The owner of the Rockstar Burgers restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, is among 18 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin, valued at more than $1.7 million.